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Meet the Finnish coaching phenom who made Joonas Donskoi an NHL player

Fans in North America will get to know Lauri Marjamaki a lot better when he guides Finland's team in the World Cup of Hockey. When he coached Joonas Donskoi, Marjamaki was instrumental in making him an NHL player.

SAN JOSE – One of the first things Lauri Marjamaki did when he began coaching Joonas Donskoi three years ago was take him to the grocery store. Some kids get it early, others take a little longer. You can put Donskoi firmly in the latter category. At the age of 21, he had no idea what it took to be a professional hockey player.

But Marjamaki, who could have passed for Donskoi’s older brother and not his coach, went to work. And more than anyone aside from Donskoi himself, Marjamaki is responsible for the final product we’re seeing today. The 24-year-old player who saved the San Jose Sharks season – at least until Game 4 Monday night – was the product of a progressive hockey system and a progressive coach in Marjamaki.

Marjamaki took over the coaching job at Karpat Oulu before the 2013-14 season and his rise in the coaching ranks has been a mercurial one. That has something to do with the fact that he led Oulu to the Finnish League title each of his first two seasons and was recently named the coach of the Finnish national team, replacing Kari Jalonen, who led the Finns to a silver medal at the World Championship. Marjamaki will be behind the Finnish bench for the World Cup of Hockey in the fall and at the age of 39, is recognized as the top coach in Finland. His transformation of Donskoi is another notch in his resume, one that could one day see him vie for a job in the NHL. (His English will have to get better, but that’s an easy one to fix.)

“He changed the direction of my career,” Donskoi said of Marjamaki. “I had had a couple of bad seasons and was kind of struggling with my game and then Lauri came in. He started with the basic things. We went to the grocery stores to see what I can buy and what I cannot buy. He taught what it is to be a hockey player – sleeping, practicing, eating.”

That first year in Oulu, Donskoi lost 11 pounds and became a far better conditioned athlete. But that was just the start of his transformation. One of the first things Marjamaki noticed about Donskoi was that he wasn’t upright enough when he skated. His head was often down and it not only affected his skating, but his ability to read the play. So Marjamaki convinced Donskoi to lengthen his stick, which forced him to be more upright.

Donskoi had impressed scouts enough to be chosen in the fourth round by the Florida Panthers in 2010, but then he stalled. The Panthers chose not to sign him and he floundered for a couple of seasons in Finland. Marjamaki knew the talent was there from seeing Donskoi as a younger player and felt it just needed some nudging. Marjamaki was with the Finnish national program when Donskoi was drafted by Florida and saw a player who needed to make some significant changes on and off the ice if he wanted to play in the NHL.

“Joonas had to understand what it took to be a good athlete, not just a good hockey player,” Marjamaki told thn.com in a telephone conversation from Finland. “His head was so down when he was skating. I was wondering whether he could see his linemates. Somebody said it was difficult to play with Joonas because he just keeps going and tries to score every goal by himself.”

The results were remarkable. Donskoi went from having a miserable season in 2012-13 where he was injured and not productive to becoming Oulu’s best player. He exploded in 2014-15, scoring 19 goals and 49 points, then earned playoff MVP honors with 22 points in 19 games to lead his team to its second straight championship. He was one of Finland’s best players in the 2015 World Championship, where Marjamaki was an assistant coach.

The Sharks took notice as well. Scouting director Tim Burke was instrumental in convincing GM Doug Wilson to sign Donskoi as a free agent to a two-year deal. The Sharks were the team that showed the most interest in Donskoi, even if they thought he’d have to start in the American League. But he was their best player in the Sharks development camp. Then he was the best player in main camp. Then he was their best player in the pre-season games and the Sharks had no choice but to keep him.

Donskoi’s stick skills are on display for all to see. That has never been an issue. In fact, Sharks defenseman Brent Burns nicknamed him “Dusty Crophopper,” which came to him after watching the Disney movie, Planes, with his kids. “He has such good hands that he likes to dust the puck off,” Burns said. “I had just watched Planes with my kids and it came to my head. It’s ‘Donkey’ though.”

Logan Couture calls him ‘Donks’ saying that, as his linemate most of this season, he knows Donskoi doesn’t like the ‘Donkey’ moniker. Like, at all. “And I don’t want to piss him off,” Couture said.

Whatever his nickname is, Donskoi looks as though he’s here to stay. The will appears have to have caught up to the skill, in large part because of the efforts of Lauri Marjamaki. Remember that name.

John Tavares scores with a move no one had ever done before

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John Tavares scores with a move no one had ever done before

The New York Islanders captain undressed Jay Bouwmeester in the most unusual of ways, but the important thing is he kept the puck. Then he buried it

John Tavares: good at hockey.

The New York Islanders captain pulled off an absolutely stunning series of moves last night, culminating in a laser-shot goal against St. Louis Blues goalie Jake Allen. But let's get back to his humbling of Olympic gold medallist Jay Bouwmeester, because that's where the real magic happened.

Witness, as Tavares puts his stick behind his back and grabs it with his other hand while still skating and fending off Bouwmeester. Then, since he is a patient boy, Tavares waits and waits and waits before firing one top corner on Allen:

As the soccer folks would say, lovely. New York would go on to beat the Blues 3-2, with Anders Lee scoring the other two goals for the Isles. After struggling to begin the season, New York is now 6-2-2 in its past 10 games. Tavares leads the squad with 21 points through 26 contests.

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The Coyotes are reportedly looking to move out Anthony Duclair, and that was the case as early as this past summer. Duclair was reportedly part of a trade offer Arizona made for Flames defenseman Dougie Hamilton.

That team, apparently, was the Arizona Coyotes. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Coyotes GM John Chayka approached Flames GM Brad Treliving around the 2016 NHL Draft with an offer of young winger Anthony Duclair and a draft pick for the 23-year-old Hamilton. Dreger said the talks didn't go very far and doesn't know why this story recently resurfaced, though Burke obviously had enough.

While Burke's comments should put an end to the Hamilton trade chatter for a while, this story should further stoke conjecture over the 21-year-old Duclair's future with the Coyotes. He was thought to be a key part of their rebuilding program, with a respectable 20-goal, 44-point rookie performance last season.

Of late, however, there's talk the Coyotes could entertain offers for Duclair, who's managed only four points in 24 games this season. It was believed they wanted a good young player, preferably a center, as a return. Given their pursuit of Hamilton last summer, a promising blueliner could also fit the bill.

While the Coyotes are reportedly willing to listen to offers for winger Anthony Duclair, LeBrun claims the Senators aren't interested. That's understandable, as the Coyotes apparently seek a good young player who can help them right away. Dorion can't spare that type of player.

Another option could be Boston Bruins forward Ryan Spooner, who can skate at center or on the wing. The Bruins are apparently talking with several clubs. Spooner's $950K salary-cap hit is certainly enticing, plus he had a 49-point campaign in 2015-16. While Dorion's looking for someone to play on his checking lines, Ryan's injury might make him reconsider.

Bruins winger Jimmy Hayes could be another option. Garrioch reported Sunday the Bruins would like to move him, but Dorion could balk at his poor production (one goal in 23 games) and $2.3-million annual cap hit through 2017-18.

Garrioch also reports Edmonton Oilers left wing Benoit Pouliot could be available. He said the Oilers weren't shopping the 30-year-old veteran, but had spoken with several clubs to gauge their interest. He also notes the New York Islanders are trying to move winger Nikolai Kulemin.

A more affordable option could be Toronto Maple Leafs center Peter Holland. With a $1.3-million cap hit for this season, the 25-year-old is reportedly on the trade block. The Sens and Leafs have a recent trade history, so perhaps this could be a move that helps both sides.

Rumor Roundup appears regularly only on thehockeynews.com. Lyle Richardson has been an NHL commentator since 1998 on his website, spectorshockey.net, and is a contributing writer for Eishockey News and The Guardian (P.E.I.).For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

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At least two teams are reportedly interested in acquiring the Sedins for their full cap hit and Canucks veterans could draw interest at the trade deadline. The Kings are looking to clear cap space by moving out Teddy Purcell.

The ongoing struggles of the Vancouver Canucks this season generated some speculation over possible roster moves.

By late-November, The Province's Jason Botchford suggested the Canucks could get an early start on deciding which players to move by the March 1 trade deadline. He felt veterans such as Ryan Miller, Alex Edler, Alexandre Burrows and perhaps even Daniel and Henrik Sedin could be on the move.

Botchford said he knows of two teams that would be willing to acquire the Sedins for their full combined salary-cap hit of $14 million. If the Canucks were to pick up part of that cap hit (which runs through 2017-18), he thinks more clubs would be interested.

The sticking point, of course, is the Sedins' willingness to be traded. So far, they've given no indication that they want out of Vancouver. As Botchford points out, such a move would likely have to take place in the off-season.

Even if the Canucks put the Sedins on the block, they're unlikely to fetch a significant return. While they're still putting up solid numbers (17 points in 26 games), the 36-year-old twins are well past their prime. Teams aren't going to give up a lot for a couple of fading stars. Picks and prospects, sure, but nothing that would immediately reverse the Canucks' fortunes.

As for Miller, he and Canucks management could be willing to work out a contract extension. Botchford's collegue Ben Kuzma doubts the Canucks place the 36-year-old goalie on the block by the trade deadline.

Kuzma notes Miller's stats aren't great this season. However, he feels he'll still be a good fit with Jacob Markstrom, buying some time until promising goalie prospect Thatcher Demko is ready to move up. He wonders if Miller might be agreeable to a two- or three-year deal worth between $4-$4.5 million per season. That's a significant pay cut from Miller's current $6-million annual salary.

Considering Miller's no longer an elite goaltender, he probably won't get much better than that on the open market. He could test next summer's free-agent market, but will likely find few decent offers. He could prefer to avoid uncertainty over his future by staying in Vancouver for a reasonable contract.

KINGS TRYING TO FREE SPACE WITH PURCELL MOVE

Los Angeles Kings left wing Teddy Purcell cleared waivers over the weekend. Signed as a free agent last summer to a one-year, $1.6-million contract, the 31-year-old managed only two points in 12 games this season. Illness and a lower-body injury sidelined him in October, and he was a healthy scratch in the Kings' last four games.

With 21 of 30 NHL teams carrying $2 million or less in cap space, moving Purcell's cap hit is difficult right now. The Kings obviously want to shed his salary without taking any back in a deal. They could be waiting until later in the season to find the right deal.

Rumor Roundup appears regularly only on thehockeynews.com. Lyle Richardson has been an NHL commentator since 1998 on his website, spectorshockey.net, and is a contributing writer for Eishockey News and The Guardian (P.E.I.).For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

Bettman says next season's salary cap could go ‘a couple or so million up'

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Bettman says next season's salary cap could go ‘a couple or so million up'

The NHL could be looking at a $2 million rise in the salary cap for next season, but early projections should be taken with a grain of salt. In December 2015, a potential rise of $3 million was projected. The upper limit increased by only $1.6 million.

It’s still far too soon to tell, but early estimations have it looking like the salary cap could jump up as much as $2 million ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

Following the NHL’s Board of Governors meetings on Thursday, commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about what the league sees as a potential cap for the upcoming campaign, which, among other things, will see the introduction of the league’s 31st franchise in the Vegas Golden Knights.

Bettman didn’t give an exact figure as to what the cap will look like, but he said there’s the potential for the upper limit to move by roughly $2 million.

"There's always a range, but it's something we're going to have to look at very carefully in terms of how may be best to approach it," Bettman said, according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. "The cap could range from where it is now to a couple or so million up, but we're going to all have to focus on what makes most sense going forward.”

Any increase in the cap would be good news for the players, especially pending unrestricted free agents looking to land long-term, big-money deals. St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Ben Bishop are two of the biggest names currently slated to hit the open market come July 2017.

Of course, there’s a chance the cap stays flat, which Bettman also indicated, but said he’d prefer to speak with the NHLPA about a possible flat cap before answering questions about it.

Before any GMs with tight cap situations or fans who’re praying their respective teams get some cap breathing room go celebrating, it’s worth noting that early projections for the 2016-17 salary cap saw the upper limit increasing by close to $3 million. That would have seen the cap rise from $71.4 million to $74.5 million, and anyone paying close attention to the financials of the league’s teams is aware that rise in the upper limit didn’t quite come to fruition.

Instead, the cap for the current campaign is $71.4 million, and the rise is mostly thanks to the NHLPA using their five-percent “escalator clause.” Had the players not used the clause, there was some concern the cap could have actually dipped from the past season to the current campaign. Some projections had the cap possibly falling below $70 million for 2016-17.

A rise of $2 million would be only slightly more than the $1.6 million increase from 2015-16 to 2016-17, and it would be one of the smallest increases since the salary cap was introduced in 2005-06. From 2008-09 to 2009-10, the cap rose by only $100,000 and there was no rise in the cap from 2011-12 to 2013-14, with teams allowed to spend to a $60-million limit during the 2012-13 lockout-shortened campaign.